The Other Side
by Lil'Conqueror
Summary: When I am lost, you have not lost me. (Takes place after the finale in 5x22)


**A\N: **Inspired by a piece of the ending finale in 5x22. Bamon (subconsciously), but Delena if you squint. _Furthermore, _I did not add Elena to the character list with Damon and Bonnie because she's technically not apart of the story. She briefly, _very _briefly, makes an appearance, so little writer time that there was no point in adding her to the list. This is solely a Bamon friendship sort of shindig thing. Nothing more, nothing less. Sorry if this confuses you guys. Enjoy!~

* * *

"You're people-watching again." Bonnie Bennett whispered from beside him, her tone carrying a hint of sadness.

He barely turned his head to acknowledge her, more intent on the scene before him than the real being beside him. Of course he was people-watching. Surprisingly enough, and it was all he could do not to be sarcastic about it, but there wasn't much to do on the other side. Now that the other side was safe, for whatever reason Bonnie and him have yet to figure out why, all he had was time. Time to watch those he cared and loved deeply wallow in despair at losing two of their closest friends.

He spent most of his time watching Elena, however. God, how he wanted to just _touch _her. He wanted her to _see _him, face-to-face, be able to feel his touch again. But she couldn't. And he hated how broken up she was. He had just gotten her back, too. They were ready to put their doubts aside and just _feel_.

Damon sighed in slight irritation.

Obviously he couldn't have a happy ending. As fate would have it, they seemed to take pleasure in causing him misery.

Suddenly, Bonnie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. For the most part, he wasn't practically hating her entire existence. Actually, they'd gotten quite close being stuck on the other side together. Well, he wouldn't go as far as calling her a friend, but to say the least, they were on a better level of communication than they were before.

Bonnie looked towards Elena as well. She had been having another moment of great depression and Alaric, who had managed to come back from the other side much to Damon's pleasure, was trying his best to comfort her. There wasn't much that he could say to help her, but he tried to offer her words of encouragement nonetheless.

Stefan had made a point not to see her lately for fear of her lashing out at him, assuming words like _it should've been you _and _Damon should be here with me_. However, Damon knew with certainty, Elena harbored no ill feelings towards his baby brother. Furthermore, Elena Gilbert wasn't _that_ person. She'd first blame herself before she ever dared blame another.

It was infuriating, normally. But he knew she meant well. That was just who she was, what made him fall so hopelessly in love with her. She was so _good, _everything he was not. And yet, she brought out this side of him that made him feel like he wasn't the worst type of person in the world.

He owed her so much and yet, here he was on the other side, _people-watching_._  
_

"You're only hurting yourself, Damon." Bonnie spoke, her voice uncomfortably close.

Damon scoffed and shrugged her off.

"Let's not pretend you haven't been peeking in on baby Gilbert." He shot back hotly.

He didn't have to physically see her face to know that she flushed in embarrassment. _As if it were a secret_. _  
_

It was a long time after that before either party said anything. Which was fine with Damon, he wasn't much for talking nowadays. What could he possibly say anyways? Bonnie remained quiet beside him, observing the scene with him. How deeply she ached to comfort her friend in this moment. It was a lot easier to watch Elena, however, because every time she laid her eyes on Jeremy, she felt sick to her stomach.

She had lied to him. Straight to his face and without batting an eye. She had told him everything was going to be fine and that she and everyone else was going to make it out alive. Part of her had hoped that she wouldn't have to be forced to lie like that and everything would have worked out in the end, but there was no turning back now. For the time being, there wasn't much of anything to do.

Except watch. And hope for a miracle.

Bonnie had tried searching for Liv and her brother, but they must have pulled some type of spell together for neither her nor Damon could find even a trace of their presence anywhere.

Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Bonnie made a move to get up before Damon's scratchy tone stopped her.

"You know I love her." He whispered, his tone cracking slightly with emotion.

He wasn't facing her, but she could practically see his broken down look he'd been giving Elena the entire time.

Bonnie sighed, for what felt like the thousandth time since coming to the other side. "I know, Damon."

Damon stiffened before altogether standing up to his full height and turning his back on Elena and Alaric. He leveled Bonnie with a piercing gaze that nearly made her lose her breath.

Assessing her quietly, he then parted his lips and said, "I know we've made a point not to bring it up now, but you need to know, I'm not giving up on her. I know you may not like me very much and we've had our differences in the past; I know I've hurt Caroline and I've brought nothing but misery to my brother, but you need to know that-"

"Stop." She interrupted, putting a hand up to silence any further words from forming. "You don't need to apolo-"

Damon's eyes flashed and he through his arm out, "But you need to know that I'm in _love _with her, Bonnie! She's going through hell right now because I promised her I wouldn't leave her! I swore her my life and everything was finally getting back on track and I'm not _there _with her! I screwed up, alright? I'm always screwing everything up, but she is the _one _constant ray of light in my life and I can't _live _without her."

"Damon-"

Said vampire shook his head, his dark hair ruffling slightly as he spun around on his heel and located the nearest tree to lay his fist against. The tree shook under the intense pressure against it, shaking visibly that Bonnie almost thought it was going to fall, before everything went silent.

"I'm-" He paused, inhaling sharply as he ran a rough hand through his hair in defeat. "I'm _sorry_."

For causing you so much trouble.

For everything bad he had ever done to hurt her or her friends and family.

_"I'm sorry, _Bonnie."

His tone was filled to the brim with pain that nearly made Bonnie cough uncomfortably. She had never seen the big bad Salvatore brother ever willingly bow his head and surrender. Especially not to her.

Unsure how to feel about the entire scene, Bonnie cautiously made her way over to him. His back facing her, he was surprised when she grabbed his arm, turning his body to face her.

Her expression was striking and he could practically feel the powerful determination radiating off of her person. The girl before him was no longer the anchor she'd come to be nor was she the fearless witch she was born into.

No, she was the woman who knew what she wanted and would stop at nothing to achieve it.

Her face showed the forgiveness she spoke.

"We're going to get out of this, _Damon_." Her tone breathed finality. "We're going _home_."

To _everyone_.

Every depressing thought and darkness that had slowly crept into his mind was gone at her words. Suddenly, there was hope and faith that they would find a way back to their loved ones. Glancing back towards Elena, Damon smiled with a new found stubbornness.

_"I'm coming home, baby. Wait for me."_


End file.
